International Trips: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The following FAQs pertain to Unschool Adventures international trips.
What is the Unschool Adventures safety record?How does Unschool Adventures keep students safe abroad?
How much supervised and unsupervised time is there on an average trip?
What are the accommodations like?
Are international hostels safe for North American teenagers?
How can I keep in touch during the trip?
What is your policy on drugs, alcohol, and smoking?
What kind of food can I expect?
Do students help with cooking, dishes, and occasional cleaning?
Can you accommodate special dietary restrictions?
How much do Unschool Adventures international trips cost?
How have previous students & families raised money for a trip?
How do I sign up for a trip? What are the steps?
What are the application deadlines?
What happens if I get sick while traveling overseas?
Can you accommodate my asthma, allergies, or diabetes?
Does Unschool Adventures have a religious affiliation?
How awesome are these trips?
What is the Unschool Adventures safety record?
The primary mission of every Unschool Adventures trip is to keep our students safe, and UA has an excellent safety record. No student on a UA trip has ever sustained an injury (outside of normal bumps, scrapes & cuts) or found themselves in a dangerous or threatening situation abroad. We had one pick-pocketing and one stolen bag in Argentina (2008), and that's it. We pride ourselves on our safety record and seek to maintain it through the practices noted below.
How does Unschool Adventures keep students safe abroad?
We keep students (and staff) safe through a vigilant combination of well-trained leaders, smart itineraries, and common sense student rules.
1. Each UA trip has two leaders: a lead and a co-lead (typically one of each sex). The co-lead is trained in Wilderness First Aid (at minimum), and the lead is a Wilderness First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician. These levels of certification are excessive for the destinations that we visit, but we believe that excessive safety training is the best way to ensure that minor situations are 100% effectively navigated. By having two leaders, we ensure group supervision in the case that one becomes ill or injured.
2. The itinerary for a UA trip is designed to get our North American teens "out of the box", but never into an area of political instability, truly desperate poverty, or known significant threat to Western travelers. We stay within 24 hours travel time of first-world medical care (and typically much, much less). Within cities that have objectively safe and unsafe areas (e.g. Buenos Aires), we plan travel routes only in the safe areas. Our sources for safety ratings include the US Department of State website, travelers' blogs, local contacts, and various guidebooks.
3. During trip orientation students are introduced to our common sense safety rules. These include the "rule of 3", whereby students must stay in groups of 3 or larger when exploring cities or towns, and the "check in" rule, whereby they must call a trip leader (using our group toll-free calling card) if they will be late or changing their day's itinerary. As a general rule, students must inform a trip leader of their planned destinations during unsupervised time.
Each trip leader carries a cell phone at all times during a trip, accessible by both parents and students (barring the occasional out-of-service moments).
How much supervised and unsupervised time is there on an average trip?
As mentioned in the About Unschool Adventures page, we believe that giving students large degrees of both freedom and responsibility--in line with the unschooling ethic--is a very important part of our trips. While a majority of trip time is spent in the presence of the trip leaders, students often enjoy chunks of time (up to 8 hours) without staff supervision. This might be an unstructured afternoon, or a free day in a city, or a period of student-designed travel. These periods are vital for building the independence and self-knowledge that accompanies international travel, as well as for solitude or relaxation purposes. Students may expect at least two hours of unsupervised time each day.
What are the accommodations like?
Accommodations vary widely depending on the trip. As a general rule we don't camp out (lugging the gear is too much hassle) and everyone gets their own bed. There are occasional exceptions to this rule; previous UA students have slept on carpet, shared a queen bed, or snoozed in a hammock. We expect students be flexible and open-minded in their bedding expectations. Our most common forms of accommodation are homestays and hostels.
Are international hostels safe for North American teenagers?
We have never had a serious problem with hostel safety, accommodations, or guests. The worst we'll encounter is a few drunk people. The diversity and friendliness of hostel travelers far outweigh whatever minimal concerns they present. And because we have such a large group, we typically get our own room(s).
How can I keep in touch during the trip?
The internet has pervaded the world. Keeping in touch via e-mail or Skype chat is almost never an issue, and parents may reasonably expect to hear from students once or twice a week. Students may also opt to bring an international cell phone, purchase an inexpensive SIM card in the destination country, and be accessible via their own number. For the case of emergency contact, trip leaders each carry an international cell phone.
What is your policy on drugs, alcohol, and smoking?
We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse of illegal drugs (including non-prescribed medications) and alcohol. Violating this policy is grounds for immediate dismissal. We believe that the international experience is best accomplished without the influence of drugs or alcohol. This rule also prevents students from facing potential incarceration (not fun!) and allows us to maintain an insurance policy. Smoking and tobacco products are additionally not allowed.
What kind of food can I expect?
When our group cooks for ourselves, you can expect big, diverse, mostly vegetarian dinners, with concessions to die-hard carnivores as needed. (We stick to vegetarian for health and food safety reasons.) When students stay at homestays or eat out, the answer of course depends on the destination country. Some cultures are carb-heavy, or meat-heavy, or spicy, etc. Keep an open mind (or bring extra $$ for personal snacks) and you'll do fine.
Do students help with cooking, dishes, and occasional cleaning?
Yes, yes, and yes! We're all in this together :)
Can you accommodate special dietary restrictions?
Omnivores and vegetarians will fare well on an Unschool Adventures trip. Vegans, celiacs, and others with special dietary restrictions will face serious challenges in most countries and should be prepared to eat simple, repetitive meals.
How much do Unschool Adventures international trips cost?
Each trip is uniquely priced, and as such, an "average" cost is difficult to suggest. Pricing factors include: duration, cost of living, planned activities, accommodations, and group size. Previous trip fees have ranged from $1,500 to $4,750.
Please note that international airfare is NOT included in trip pricing! Due to the volatile nature of airfare, visas, and associated taxes & fees, we do not include airfare in our program fees and ask families to purchase it separately. Our travel agency, Global Vision Travel, works with flight consolidators to find us excellent international group fares. Yes, you can use air miles to purchase your domestic flight (and sometimes the international flight).
Additional costs to factor in the equation include: domestic airfare to the trip meeting point ($0-400), spending money ($100-200), international visa or entry fees ($0-150), and traveler's insurance ($100-200).
How have previous students & families raised money for a trip?
Most students pay for their trips with a combination of fund-raising and family contribution. Previous fund-raising tactics have included: selling popsicles at conferences, babysitting, house cleaning, freelance work, straightforward employment, and matched-contribution fund-raising drives. Students have also found it useful to solicit donations from extended families, take out "loans" against future birthdays/holidays, and advertise their plights via Facebook.
How do I sign up for a trip? What are the steps?
- Begin by reading the trip's profile page, the About Unschool Adventures page, and this FAQ (all online).
- Fill out and submit the online application, found on the Enrollment page. After submitting the application, you'll be directed to our PayPal page where you may pay the $30 non-refundable application fee via credit card or bank account.
- Within a week (and typically within a day), you'll get an e-mail from the Unschool Adventures staff discussing your application. We'll set up a phone interview (30-45 minutes) or let you know when phone interviews are scheduled to begin.
- After the phone interview, we'll make you an offer of enrollment via e-mail (or write you and tell why we didn't). The offer will include all necessary paperwork, including liability and behavior contracts, health form, and payment instructions.
- To secure your spot on the trip, return all paperwork to our office (via fax or e-mail) and submit the $500 non-refundable security deposit via PayPal.
- Communicate with our travel agent via e-mail, who will give you instructions for purchasing our group airfare. You may also purchase domestic airfare through the agent (or do it yourself).
- Pay the balance of the trip fee via check or money order. Payment deadline is typically four months prior to trip departure.
- Go on your adventure!!
What are the application deadlines?
Each trip has a "priority enrollment deadline" noted on its profile page. We accept applications and do phone interviews--but don't offer enrollment--until this date. After that date, we offer enrollment to all qualified applicants (see enrollment steps above). Applications are accepted and enrollment is thereafter offered on a rolling basis until the trip fills. Check the trip profile page for enrollment status.
What happens if I get sick while traveling overseas?
Unschool Adventures requires all students to carry health insurance that covers them in the destination countries. This can either be provided through family insurance (if the policy covers overseas expenses) or purchasing a supplementary travel insurance policy (through our travel agent, $100-200 depending on trip length).
In the case of serious illness, we arrange transport to the nearest hospital and call parents immediately to notify and ask for their desired course of action. Students going to a hospital will always be accompanied by a trip leader. (We've never had to take a student to the hospital during one of our trips.)
In the case of routine illness (e.g. cold, flu, GI bug), trip leaders will support students with advice, rest, and over-the-counter medication approved by their health form. Of course, prevention is the best medicine, and students receive health safety instruction during trip orientation.
Can you accommodate my asthma, allergies, or diabetes?
Maybe! We've accommodated students with each of these conditions before. Please make sure to note your condition in the online application.
Does Unschool Adventures have a religious affiliation?
Nope! We are 100% unaffiliated and welcoming of all beliefs and non-beliefs. We encourage reasoned and courteous discussion about religious topics.
How awesome are these trips?
Well, we don't want to spoil the surprise, but... they're pretty awesome!